Geisinger will offer the benefit beginning Sept. 1.
Emma Lee / WHYY
Geisinger to offer new parents two-weeks paid family leave
At least two health systems operating in the midstate now offer the benefit.
-
Brett Sholtis
Emma Lee / WHYY
Geisinger will offer the benefit beginning Sept. 1.
The Geisinger hospital chain is offering two weeks of paid family leave to new parents.
The Danville, Montour County-based health system has 26,000 employees in Pennsylvania.
It also has about 6,000 employees in New Jersey, where paid family leave is required by state law. No such law exists in Pennsylvania, but employees have ranked paid family leave as one of the most desired benefits, said Geisinger human resources Vice President Brion Lieberman.
And in a state full of competition between health systems, it’s also appealing to job seekers, Lieberman said.
“It’ll set us apart, and it should be an additional item that makes it more attractive to want to work at Geisinger.”
About 15 percent of hospitals across the U.S. provide paid family leave, including ones in states that require it, Lieberman said.
Geisinger competitor UPMC also started offering paid parental leave in January of 2019.
Pennsylvania does not require paid family leave for new parents. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act requires employers to offer up to 12 weeks unpaid leave for new parents.
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.
